The early modern political philosopher Benedict de Spinoza is often viewed as the father of the historical critical method for studying the Bible. Building upon the work of contemporaries, Spinoza constructed the methodological foundation upon which later historical criticism would build. This paper examines the political background of Spinoza's biblical criticism, thereby placing Spinoza's work in its sociohistorical context. The Thirty Years' War and the political turmoil in the Dutch Republic provide the proximate backdrop for Spinoza's political theory, and upon his biblical criticism.
The way Lycus conquers power over Thebes in Pseudo-Apollodorus' Library is marked by some elements that seem to refer to political institutions. His election as a polemarch may allude to events that took place in Boeotia in the fourth century B.C. This allusion represents a clear anachronism against the background of the mythographer's tales. The anachronism is related to the narrative development of the section to which it belongs: the reference to polemarchy, by stressing the difference between the legitimate sovereignty of the Cadmeians and the illegitimate sovereignty of Lycus, Zethus and Amphion, contributes to the compositional plan conceived by ps. Apollodorus, which consists of genealogical continuity. Therefore, the anachronism can be considered as the result of a choice of the author and reveals that the mythographers played also a role in the iteration between mythical time and historical past that we can find in their works. ; [it] Il racconto della conquista del potere a Tebe da parte di Lico, fornito dalla Biblioteca, presenta alcuni elementi che sembrano far riferimento a istituti propriamente politici. L'elezione a polemarco, in particolare, può alludere a eventi storici della Beozia di IV secolo a. C. Tale allusione rappresenta un chiaro anacronismo rispetto all'universo che fa da sfondo ai racconti del mitografo, ma, in questo caso, non risulta estranea allo sviluppo narrativo della sezione in cui si trova inserita. Evidenziando una differenza qualitativa tra la sovranità legittima dei Cadmei e quella illegittima di Lico, Zeto e Anfione, il riferimento alla polemarchia contribuisce al piano compositivo dello ps. Apollodoro, che si fonda sulla continuità genealogica. Per tale ragione, l'anacronismo può essere qui considerato il risultato di una scelta autoriale, che mostra come anche i mitografi abbiano giocato un ruolo nell'iterazione tra tempo mitico e passato storico che si riscontra all'interno delle loro opere.
Resumen: ¿Qué imágenes de Egipto encontramos en la Biblia Hebrea, además del éxodo? Los textos bíblicos miran a su vecina Egipto como país de refugio (del hambre o la persecución). Pero por ser grande y fuerte, Egipto es también proveedor de armamento militar. Puede tornarse una falsa seguridad para un pueblo que debe confiar solo en Yavé. La literatura sapiencial es más benévola. En la descripción de la cama lujosa a la que una mujer descarada atrae a su amante, Proverbios 7 ofrece un homenaje indirecto a la riqueza egipcia. ; Abstract: What images of Egypt do we find in the Hebrew Bible, besides that of the exodus? Biblical texts look at their neighbour Egypt as a land of refuge (from hunger or from persecution). Being grand and strong, however, Egypt is also a provider of military machinery. It can become a false source of security for a people who should only trust in Yahweh. Wisdom literature is more benevolent. A more positive image of Egypt's richness is indirectly brought by the description, in Proverbs 7, of a luxurious bed to which a shameless woman invites her lover.
In the era of New Granada's fight for independence, the clergy participated in the struggle through means of their words. In their sermons they expressed their political opinions in favor of or against the new order. In order to validate their statements, they turned principally to the Bible as a source for argumentation and for truth. This article analyzes the Holy Scriptures as an ecclesiastical resource that served to legitimize or desacralize the regime change. In order to do this, the authors study the biblical references that appear in the sermons of New Granada and attempt to approach the thematic context of the Bible. ; En los años de lucha por la Independencia de Nueva Granada, el clero participó de las contiendas por medio de su palabra. A través de sermones expresaron sus opiniones políticas a favor o en contra del nuevo orden. Para avalar sus afirmaciones, recurrieron principalmente a la Biblia como fuente de argumentación y verdad. En este artículo nos proponemos analizar a las Sagradas Escrituras como recurso eclesiástico que sirvió para legitimar o desacralizar el cambio de régimen. Para ello, hacemos un estudio de las referencias bíblicas que aparecen en los sermones neogranadinos e intentamos aproximarnos al contexto temático de la Biblia.
Este artículo pretende introducir en el aporte que hace Girard a la relectura de los textos bíblicos "sacrificiales", y a la epistemología y la exégesis bíblica. El escrito aborda el tema de la sacrificialidad en los textos más relevantes de la Biblia, tanto en el Nuevo como en el Antiguo Testamento, y examina la forma como éstos han sido interpretados en la tradición cristiana mayoritaria. Concluye con el tema del sacrificio de Jesús y con la forma tradicional de su interpretación como auto-sacrificial y como víctima expiatoria del pecado humano. En esta última parte ofrece una mirada desde la perspectiva de la "víctima expiatoria", examina su papel en la religión, en la cultura y en el desarrollo de la "crisis sacrificial", según Girard. Igualmente, el texto desarrolla las implicaciones de esta relectura en nuestra teología y nuestro compromiso con las víctimas del conflicto armado, social y político colombiano. Finalmente, el artículo plantea, a partir del aporte de Girard y de la relectura hecha a los textos bíblicos, las preguntas: ¿qué decimos a una nación victimizada por nuevas formas de "victimización expiatoria"? ¿Cómo poder encontrar un camino diferente, desde nuestras tradición cristiana, para superar esta condición? ; This article introduces to Girard's contribution to a rereading of sacrificial biblical texts, and to epistemology and biblical exegesis. It discusses the subject of the sacrifices in the most relevant texts of the Bible, both the New and the Old Testament, and how these have been interpreted in the mainstream Christian tradition, concluding with the theme of Jesus' sacrifice and the traditional way of interpretation as a self-sacrificing and expiatory victim of human sin. It provides a look from the perspective of the "scapegoat", its role in religion and culture, as well as the development of "sacrificial crisis", according to Girard. Also, it develops the implications of this re-reading for our theology and our commitment to the victims of Colombian armed, social and political conflict. Finally, this article settles some questions from Girard's contribution and a re-reading of biblical texts: What do we say to a victimized nation by new forms of 'scapegoats'? How to find a different path from our Christian tradition, to overcome this condition?
This article introduces to Girard's contribution to a rereading of sacrificial biblical texts, and to epistemology and biblical exegesis. It discusses the subject of the sacrifices in the most relevant texts of the Bible, both the New and the Old Testament, and how these have been interpreted in the mainstream Christian tradition, concluding with the theme of Jesus' sacrifice and the traditional way of interpretation as a self-sacrificing and expiatory victim of human sin. It provides a look from the perspective of the "scapegoat", its role in religion and culture, as well as the development of "sacrificial crisis", according to Girard. Also, it develops the implications of this re-reading for our theology and our commitment to the victims of Colombian armed, social and political conflict. Finally, this article settles some questions from Girard's contribution and a re-reading of biblical texts: What do we say to a victimized nation by new forms of 'scapegoats'? How to find a different path from our Christian tradition, to overcome this condition? ; Este artículo pretende introducir en el aporte que hace Girard a la relectura de los textos bíblicos "sacrificiales", y a la epistemología y la exégesis bíblica. El escrito aborda el tema de la sacrificialidad en los textos más relevantes de la Biblia, tanto en el Nuevo como en el Antiguo Testamento, y examina la forma como éstos han sido interpretados en la tradición cristiana mayoritaria. Concluye con el tema del sacrificio de Jesús y con la forma tradicional de su interpretación como auto-sacrificial y como víctima expiatoria del pecado humano. En esta última parte ofrece una mirada desde la perspectiva de la "víctima expiatoria", examina su papel en la religión, en la cultura y en el desarrollo de la "crisis sacrificial", según Girard. Igualmente, el texto desarrolla las implicaciones de esta relectura en nuestra teología y nuestro compromiso con las víctimas del conflicto armado, social y político colombiano. Finalmente, el artículo plantea, a partir del aporte de Girard y de la relectura hecha a los textos bíblicos, las preguntas: ¿qué decimos a una nación victimizada por nuevas formas de "victimización expiatoria"? ¿Cómo poder encontrar un camino diferente, desde nuestras tradición cristiana, para superar esta condición?
The article is an introduction to the political reading of the Bible. Jewish federalism is shown as the paradigm of modern contractualism. The author refers to the right interpretation of the Bible onthe basis of the works of Daniel J. Elazar, Max Kadushin y Eric Voegelin. At the end, as an example, the author critizes Hobbes's interpretation of the Books of Samuel, which is controversial for not taking into account essential aspects of Biblical hermeneutics. ; El artículo es una introducción a la lectura política de la Biblia. Se destaca que el federalismo judío es el paradigma del contractualismo moderno. El autor se refiere a la interpretación correcta de la Biblia sobre la base de la obras de Daniel J. Elazar, Max Kadushin y Eric Voegelin. Al final, como un ejemplo, el autor realiza una crítica a la interpretación de Thomas Hobbes del Libro de Samuel, que es controversial por no tomar en cuenta aspectos esenciales de la hermenéutica bíblica.
This article analyzes the travel accounts of Luke Matthews, an agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) who travelled across South America between 1826 and 1829. His mission was to circulate copies of the Protestant version of the Bible by following the same route that James Thomson had followed a few years before. While Thomson visited big cities and established relationships with local political and ecclesiastic authorities, Matthews travelled across small, isolated and recondite towns, and engaged with parish priests and common people. As shown in Matthews's reports, reactions to both his own presence and the circulation of Protestant bibles were diverse and in many cases they were favorable. The availability of such bibles allowed many parish priests in small towns to solve practical problems of their own evangelizing mission. This led them to receive those bibles and even challenge the opinion of the ecclesiastic authorities. This shows that there was not a monolithic view about the presence of Protestant missionaries within the Catholic clergy. This also contradicts the idea that the spread of Protestant ideas and practices were resisted by a strong Catholic society. ; Este artículo analiza los relatos de viaje del agente de la British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) Luke Matthews, quien recorrió América del Sur entre 1826 y 1829. Su misión consistía en distribuir biblias protestantes, siguiendo la ruta que años antes había recorrido James Thomson como agente de la misma sociedad y como promotor del sistema lancasteriano de enseñanza. Mientras Thomson privilegió la visita de ciudades y la relación con las elites políticas y eclesiásticas locales, Matthews optó por visitar pequeños poblados, aislados y recónditos, vinculándose con curas párrocos y personas sin notoriedad pública. Como muestran sus reportes a la BFBS las reacciones a su presencia y a la circulación de biblias protestantes fueron diversas y, en varios casos, favorables. La disponibilidad de biblias solucionaba problemas prácticos de la misión evangelizadora de los curas párrocos, quienes se abrieron a recibirla incluso contradiciendo lo estipulado por sus autoridades eclesiásticas. Esto muestra que ni siquiera dentro del clero católico existía una visión monolítica respecto a la presencia de misioneros protestantes en el contexto de la América del Sur post-independiente y cuestiona la idea de que la infiltración de ideas y prácticas protestantes fue resistida por una sociedad férreamente católica.
This essay deals with the Song of Songs and brings up a research about the concept of desire given by the Bible and philosophy, both shapers of the Western Culture. The concept of desire is constrasted by two diferent perspectives from which the desire is analysed as deficiency, power and possibilty, within its political and anthropological expressions. The reflection implies a stand that recovers the desire as an inseparable element of the human condition. It is the desire inherent to the human condition that gives the way to great deeds and failures of immeasurable projects alike. Nevertheless, the author bets for the desire as liberator of eros and transformer of the western way of thinking; this gambling is marked both by strong passions and reasons. ; El presente trabajo da cuenta de una búsqueda del deseo en dos fuentes configuradoras de la cultura occidental como son la Biblia y la Filosofía, y másconcretamente en el Cantar de los Cantares. A través de una puesta en tensión de dicho concepto mirado desde dos perspectivas se realizó una aproximación y crítica al deseo como carencia, potencia y posibilidad en términos antropológicos y políticos. La reflexión conlleva una postura que reivindica el deseo como un elemento inherente a la condición humana cuya permanencia en la vida de los hombres posibilita grandes gestas y trunca inconmensurables proyectos. Sin embargo se hace una apuesta por el deseo como liberador del eros y transformador del pensamiento occidental, marcada por pasiones tan fuertes como sus propias razones.
This article discusses the copy of the one-volume Bible which belonged to the library of the Carthusian monastery of Portaceli, near Valencia, and is now kept by the Hispanic Society of America (Ms. HC 397/344). Its interest is as much documentary as artistic: on the first folio page there is a sevceteenth century note saying that it was a gift from the schismatic pope Benedict XIII to Bonifacio Ferrer, general of the Carthusians and brother of St. Vincent. Both these men were important figures in the political panorama of the Crown of Aragon, and active patrons of art. Pedro de Luna (Benedict XIII) maintained an active scriptorium in the fortress of Peñíscola until 1413. The Portaceli Bible was separated from the holdings of the Carthusians shortly after the secularisation and public sale of the monastery's goods. It suffered the same fate as other original works from this monastery, the Valencian Bible and the second part of the Annals of the Portaceli Charterhouse (Ms. B1141), both of which are in the keeping of the Hispanic Society of America. ; Dans ce travail nous voulons faire connaître un exemplaire de la Bible sacra en un seul volume, conservée dans la Hispanic Society of America de New York (ms. HC 397/344), provenant de l'ancienne bibliothèque de la Cartuja de Portaceli, près de la ville de Valencia. Son intérêt n'est pas tellement artistique, sinon documentaire, puisque dans le premier folio apparaît une inscription caligrafiée datant du XVIIè siècle, qui spécifie qu'elle fut donnée en cadeau par le Pape schismatique Bénédict XIII à Bonifacio Ferrer, général de la Chartreuse et frère de Saint Vincent. Personnages singuliers, tous deux, dans le panorama politique contemporain de la Couronne d' Aragon, et intéressants promoteurs artistiques. Pedro de Luna (Bénédict XIII) maintint un scriptorium actif dans la forteresse de Peñíscola jusqu'à 1413. La Bible de Portaceli se détacherait des fonds de la Chartreuse immédiatement après la désamortisation et vente publique des biens monastiques. Elle a subi le même sort que d'autres exemplaires originaires de ce monastère: nous faisons allusion à la Bible valencienne et à la deuxième partie des Annales de la Cartuja de Portaceli (ms. 81141), ocuvres gardées ensemble dans la Hispanic Society of America.
Revista Lusófona de Ciência das Religiões ; Este texto equaciona o nascimento no movimento das Sociedades Bíblicas, integrando-o no seu contexto mais vasto da missiologia do cristianismo na passagem do século XVIII para o XIX. O período de nascimento deste movimento pode-se compreender entre as datas de 1792 e 1815. No primeiro, William Carey funda a Sociedade Missionária Baptista. Sempre próxima à missionação, pretendendo levar a Bíblia toda a população, o movimento das Sociedades Bíblicas foi-se mantendo afastado dos contextos políticos e a eles impermeável, adoptando desde sempre uma postura ecuménica. Por fundação e mesmo por ligação à Bíblia, sempre mais próximas do protestantismo, a sua natureza é interconfessional. ; This text deals with the birth of the movement of the Bible Societies, relating it to the vaster Christian missionary interest at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. The birth of this movement can be understood as taking place between the dates of 1792 e 1815. On the first of these dates William Carey founded the Baptist Missionary Society. Always close to missionary activity, endeavouring to take the Bible to all people, the Bible Societies movement kept itself apart, and not influenced by, political interests, adapting, from the beginning an ecumenical position. By its beginning and also by its association with the Bible, always nearer to Protestantism, its nature is interconfessional.
El presente artículo expone las analogías existentes entre la poesía de Nicanor Parra y una de sus fuentes más fructíferas: la Biblia. El diálogo que los versos del chileno mantienen con el libro sagrado del judeocristianismo está revestido, sin embargo, de subversión: la atención que Parra le ha prestado a lo largo de su obra al texto bíblico toma la forma de una desacralización, encaminada a dinamitar un grandísimo relato de la humanidad y borrar la credibilidad de la cual este ha gozado durante tantos siglos. Su antipoesía arremete contra toda imposición política o ideológica y de ahí procede la utilización iconoclasta del intertexto bíblico, que, ya en términos sarcástico-humorísticos, ya con una visión más pesimista, insta a sus lectores a tomar conciencia. ; This article intends to present the existing analogies between Nicanor Parra's poetry and the Bible, which is one of its most fruitful sources. The dialogue that his verses establish with the holy book of Judeo-Christianity, however, is filled with subversion: the attention that Parra has granted to the biblical text throughout his work takes the shape of a demystification, aiming to wipe out a "grand narrative" of humanity and to erase the credibility that it had enjoyed over centuries. His antipoetry attacks every political or ideological imposition, what results in the iconoclastic use of the biblical intertext, which, either in satiric-humoristic terms or from a more pessimistic point of view, instigates his readers to become aware
The author shows how the Israelites worked out their own laws from the old codes of the Mesopotamian area in the second millennium before the common era. These Jewish laws defend the person and the community basic rights. This study shows how the close relationship evolves between the Bible and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many situations in the world today could have different dimensions, if peoples, governments and societies were awareof this realtionship and assumed its consequences in their own lives. ; La autora del presente trabajo muestra cómo a partir de códigos prevenientes de la región Mesopotámica desde el segundo milenio antes de la era común, el pueblo de Israel forjó sus propias leyes en las cuales se defienden los derechos básicos de las personas y de las comunidades. Con estos datos el texto va desenvolviendo la estrecha relación existente entre la declaración universal de los Derechos Humanos y la Biblia. Si hoy las personas, las familias, los gobiernos y las sociedades tomaran conciencia de esta vinculación y dejaran afectar sus vidas por las consecuencias de allí derivadas, muchas situaciones del mundo actual tendrían otras dimensiones.
Being a Christian in the Middle East today is a hard task. The dramatic political changes over the past century have torn Christianity in parties that confuse religious and political causes. My contribution will investigate one of the most sensitive issues that touch the coexistence of religions in the Middle East: the idea of choice and the status of the Jewish people in Christian theology. This serious issue appeared in the beginnings of Christianity and belongs to the very core message of the New Testament. The most important texts about the continuity and discontinuity of the election of the Jews by God are certainly in Romans 9-11. From the infamous Holocaust and the proclamation of the modern state of Israel, there has been a lively discussion among scholars of the Bible in the West about Rom 9-11, about how to define the role of "Israel" in Christianity. In the context of Rom 9-11, there is a special paragraph about the choice of the people of God that has deeply marked Christianity: the image of the olive tree (Rom 11,16b-24). Here the Apostle illustrates his vision of God's people referring to this as an olive tree. This article will attempt to interpret this explanation of Paul, because it is the clearest and most didactic.
